Pandemonium Purger
Posts: 1341
Joined: Monday, 24th October 2011, 06:13
Monday, 24th October 2011, 06:20
How to spruce up Vaults
I have three main points here:
1. Make Yaktaurs the signature Vaults enemy.
2. Maintain the openness of the outside, add terrain detail to give Yaktaurs advantages
3. Make vaults themselves multi-level units that are small self-contained 'minibranches'
New terrain type:
= Eternally sealed door
This door was long ago blessed with a protection only a God could imbue. As a mortal, what lies behind these doors will never be revealed to you without a God who makes such things his business.
These doors will spawn on large blocks of stone that serve as filler in the vaults. It gives reason to sequester all the indoor fighting in these multi-tiered vaults, and otherwise exist for completely cosmetic purposes. We could consider actually doing something with the proposed door Gods. If you ask me, there should be some very special doors in this game that can only be opened with assistance of the divine. Until that happens, these doors just "close" rooms that are big stone blocks
Legend:
# Stone
= Eternally sealed door
Unreal! Using all of your strength doesn't so much as budge the door. Something more than physical force will be needed to open this barrier.
Another idea would be to make these into actual loot/creature rooms that in addition to being unlockable by a yet-to-be-tested-God, acquiring the Vault rune would allow the player to open these doors as normal. Until either ability is obtained, none of these rooms can be teleported into
~ (brown) Rubble
Applies exactly the same movement/combat penalties as shallow water, but affects all but a few creatures. Hill Orcs, Mountain and Deep Dwarves, Halflings, Centaurs, and Ogres would be completely unaffected by Rubble as is, though Rubble could be tiered like water and have two "depths. Light rubble would keep the aforementioned races unaffected by penalties, but thick rubble would apply to all but those races, apply light rubble penalties to Mountain Dwarves, Halflings, Mountain Orcs and Centaurs, while Deep Dwarves and Ogres would remain unhindered. Trolls and Dragonkin might have advantages on this terrain as well. Dexterity should play a role in reducing the penalties, further benefiting light, fast characters and encourage focusing on ranged combat later in the dungeon.
Thematically, this might not work as well in the vaults as it would Crypts or Orcish Mines or Tomb.
I also like this terrain as it gives some more tactical room to explore a new branch: (species) Ruins. But I think rubble could really shine in Vaults if we consolidate all yaktaurs into the branch and call it their home. Any movement deterrent will benefit them, but like centaurs, they are only protected from light rubble; thick rubble still slows them down.
Vaults should also have much more decoration in the way of pools, statues, fountains, and plants. Vaults can be hard on a Fedhas worshiper who has to spend fruit to spawn a plant in order to spend more fruit to turn it into an oklob. Around this point in the game, Fedhas worshipers conquering the Vaults are likely very low on fruit. Like the killer bee vaults that spawn in the dungeon and provide honeycombs and royal jellies, the Vaults should contain well maintained garden vaults with plenty of fruit.
All vaults in general need more spicing up. I'm just starting out with making my own maps and I'd love to commit to making several unique Vault rooms, which is why I propose three-level vaults.
Three-level vaults
These are highly unique but common vaults that are completely enclosed by indestructible walls except for it's only entry door (this could be changed with a "gated" door on the bottom, perhaps) which is at one end (top or bottom, never the middle) of the vault. It isn't a different branch, but works exactly like one. It can be made so there is no teleportation in or out of them, but is not necessary except for special vaults (see below). I think there can be some very awesome ideas for these, and I'm sure it can be made so only that the only level travel between the layers of the vault are from a single source (no outside normal dungeon stairs could generate into the vault, and their strict limit of three takes these vault stairs into account.
Stairs spawn in vaults all the time. This is normal for those vaults because no one tells the engine to stop generating stairs in them. These multi-level vaults will only have the absolute minimum of appropriate steps required for navigation and nothing else. For this reason, only two entryways to multi-level vaults will appear per level. This all could change of course of vaults completely, and if this basic idea comes to embody the structure of vaults entirely, we should consider increasing the amount of up/down white staircases that generate outside of these special vaults. Or just guarantee three external up and down staircases and allow the game to generate as many vaults within reason.
I don't have much experience with making maps at all, but I decided I better make some examples even though the description is pretty simple to understand.
Legend:
F fountain
p plant
# stone wall
X metal/green wall
8 statue
+ door
~ shallow or deep water
^ trap
! loot
First floor of a vault, with outdoor exit. The other structure is the second floor of a vault that has not been entered yet
Second floor of the vault, with no outdoor exits. The other structure is the third level of the undiscovered vault.
Third floor or the vault. As you can see, the other structure is not on this level because it was also a three-level dungeon. There is no outdoor exit to this vault as well.
Here is another vault, which contains the "final" area on the first floor. Players have to descend to the last level then climb a different route to get the loot. In this map,
1
2
3
Other vault ideas:
Multi-level vaults can progress up or down, but not both
Multi-level generation (down) stops on Vault:6. Multi-level generation (up) stops on Vault:7.
Three Multi-level vaults on Vault:6 make a path to the only entry into Vault:8, so players can't dive into Vault:8 as easily
The rune isn't on Vault:8, but on Vault:6 in one of four Multi-level vaults that are entered in Vault:8 and cannot be teleported into on Vault:6 or Vault:7
One last note about the ruins: it isn't a fully formed idea yet, but think lots of rubble, crumbled rock and stone walls, old waterways that have flooded over, lots of one specific race. Random rotation with swamp and shoals. Another mid game branch that does not require rPois. Main species in ruins could also be rotated with appropriate variances in the ruins to accommodate the switch. For example, mountain dwarf ruins would have much more stone walkways that remained in tact and provide a lot of rubble-free walking space. Merfolk ruins would have eroded stone walls poking out of much-more prevalent water (think 25% of the level), Ogre ruins would contain big roundish structures of rock mostly surrounded by other singular rock walls and lots of rubble. Some of this may be too ambitious and it's very likely that a species rotation would be too much effort for a mid game branch.
1. Make Yaktaurs the signature Vaults enemy.
2. Maintain the openness of the outside, add terrain detail to give Yaktaurs advantages
3. Make vaults themselves multi-level units that are small self-contained 'minibranches'
New terrain type:
= Eternally sealed door
This door was long ago blessed with a protection only a God could imbue. As a mortal, what lies behind these doors will never be revealed to you without a God who makes such things his business.
These doors will spawn on large blocks of stone that serve as filler in the vaults. It gives reason to sequester all the indoor fighting in these multi-tiered vaults, and otherwise exist for completely cosmetic purposes. We could consider actually doing something with the proposed door Gods. If you ask me, there should be some very special doors in this game that can only be opened with assistance of the divine. Until that happens, these doors just "close" rooms that are big stone blocks
Legend:
# Stone
= Eternally sealed door
Unreal! Using all of your strength doesn't so much as budge the door. Something more than physical force will be needed to open this barrier.
Another idea would be to make these into actual loot/creature rooms that in addition to being unlockable by a yet-to-be-tested-God, acquiring the Vault rune would allow the player to open these doors as normal. Until either ability is obtained, none of these rooms can be teleported into
~ (brown) Rubble
Applies exactly the same movement/combat penalties as shallow water, but affects all but a few creatures. Hill Orcs, Mountain and Deep Dwarves, Halflings, Centaurs, and Ogres would be completely unaffected by Rubble as is, though Rubble could be tiered like water and have two "depths. Light rubble would keep the aforementioned races unaffected by penalties, but thick rubble would apply to all but those races, apply light rubble penalties to Mountain Dwarves, Halflings, Mountain Orcs and Centaurs, while Deep Dwarves and Ogres would remain unhindered. Trolls and Dragonkin might have advantages on this terrain as well. Dexterity should play a role in reducing the penalties, further benefiting light, fast characters and encourage focusing on ranged combat later in the dungeon.
Thematically, this might not work as well in the vaults as it would Crypts or Orcish Mines or Tomb.
I also like this terrain as it gives some more tactical room to explore a new branch: (species) Ruins. But I think rubble could really shine in Vaults if we consolidate all yaktaurs into the branch and call it their home. Any movement deterrent will benefit them, but like centaurs, they are only protected from light rubble; thick rubble still slows them down.
Vaults should also have much more decoration in the way of pools, statues, fountains, and plants. Vaults can be hard on a Fedhas worshiper who has to spend fruit to spawn a plant in order to spend more fruit to turn it into an oklob. Around this point in the game, Fedhas worshipers conquering the Vaults are likely very low on fruit. Like the killer bee vaults that spawn in the dungeon and provide honeycombs and royal jellies, the Vaults should contain well maintained garden vaults with plenty of fruit.
All vaults in general need more spicing up. I'm just starting out with making my own maps and I'd love to commit to making several unique Vault rooms, which is why I propose three-level vaults.
Three-level vaults
These are highly unique but common vaults that are completely enclosed by indestructible walls except for it's only entry door (this could be changed with a "gated" door on the bottom, perhaps) which is at one end (top or bottom, never the middle) of the vault. It isn't a different branch, but works exactly like one. It can be made so there is no teleportation in or out of them, but is not necessary except for special vaults (see below). I think there can be some very awesome ideas for these, and I'm sure it can be made so only that the only level travel between the layers of the vault are from a single source (no outside normal dungeon stairs could generate into the vault, and their strict limit of three takes these vault stairs into account.
Stairs spawn in vaults all the time. This is normal for those vaults because no one tells the engine to stop generating stairs in them. These multi-level vaults will only have the absolute minimum of appropriate steps required for navigation and nothing else. For this reason, only two entryways to multi-level vaults will appear per level. This all could change of course of vaults completely, and if this basic idea comes to embody the structure of vaults entirely, we should consider increasing the amount of up/down white staircases that generate outside of these special vaults. Or just guarantee three external up and down staircases and allow the game to generate as many vaults within reason.
I don't have much experience with making maps at all, but I decided I better make some examples even though the description is pretty simple to understand.
Legend:
F fountain
p plant
# stone wall
X metal/green wall
8 statue
+ door
~ shallow or deep water
^ trap
! loot
First floor of a vault, with outdoor exit. The other structure is the second floor of a vault that has not been entered yet
- Code:
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
.............#########################..................
.............#........#..............#..................
.............#..FpppF.+..............#..................
.............#........#..............#..................
.............#..8.#####..XX..XX..XX..#..................
.............#........#..XX..XX..XX..#..................
...........##########+#..............#..................
...........+^+...~~...#..............#..................
...........###..8~~8..#..............#..................
...........+^+...~~...#..XX..XX..XX..#..................
...........##########+#..XX..XX..XX>.#..................
.............#........#..............#..................
.............#..8.#####..............#.............#####
.............#.......f#..............#.........#########
.............#########################.....#############
.......................................#################
...................................#####################
...............................#########################
...........................#############################
.......................#################################
...................#####################################
Second floor of the vault, with no outdoor exits. The other structure is the third level of the undiscovered vault.
- Code:
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
.............#########################..................
.............#.......................#..................
.............#.XXX......888......XXX>#..................
.............#.XXX....88...88....XXX.#..................
.............#.XXX...8... ...8...XXX.#..................
.............#......8...~~~...8......#..................
.............###+###..~~~8~~~..#######..................
.............#p~^~p#..~~~F~~~..#ppppp#..................
.............#~~^~~##.~~~~~~~.##~~~~~#..................
.............###....##..~~~..##....###..................
.............#F......###...###.....<F#..................
.............###.......#####.......###..................
.............#~~~~~~~~.......~~~~~~~~#.............#####
.............#ppppppp~~~~~~~~~ppppppp#.........#########
.............#########################.....#############
.......................................#################
...................................#####################
...............................#########################
...........................#############################
.......................#################################
...................#####################################
Third floor or the vault. As you can see, the other structure is not on this level because it was also a three-level dungeon. There is no outdoor exit to this vault as well.
- Code:
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
.............#########################..................
.............#...~~~~#......#ppFpp8pp#..................
.............#.F.F.F.+.8~~8.+.......<#..................
.............#~~..p~.#......#pp8ppFpp#..................
.............#...F~.~#################..................
.............#.~~~~..#~~~#~.~~.~#....#..................
.............#p~~F~~.+...+~~~..~+.88.#..................
.............#~~~...p#~~~#...~~.#....#..................
.............####################.88.#..................
.............#..~~....~~~..#....#....#..................
.............#!XX..~~~~.XX.#....#.88.#..................
.............#!XX~.~8...XX.+....+....#..................
.............#!XX.~...~~XX.#....#.88.#..................
.............#.~~~~..~~~~~~#....#....#..................
.............#########################..................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
........................................................
Here is another vault, which contains the "final" area on the first floor. Players have to descend to the last level then climb a different route to get the loot. In this map,
1
- Code:
.................................
............######...............
...........##>...##..............
..........##.X..X.##.............
.........##.X....X.#.............
........##.X.......#.............
.......##.X..XX..X.#.............
.......#.....!!....#.............
.......#XXXXXXXXXXX#.............
.......#~~~~~~~~~~~#.............
.......#~~X~X~X~X~~#.............
.......##~~~~~~~~~~#.............
........##>........#.............
.........#######+###.............
.................................
2
- Code:
.................................
............######...............
...........##<..>##..............
..........##XXFFXX##.............
.........##..XXXX..#.............
........##.........#.............
.......##...~~~~~..#.............
.......#....~~8~~.>#.............
.......#....~~~~~..#.............
.......#...........#.............
.......#..X.X.X.X..#.............
.......##..........#.............
........##<........#.............
.........###########.............
.................................
3
- Code:
.................................
............######...............
...........##...<##..............
..........##......##.............
.........##..XXXXXX#.............
........##X.....XX.#.............
.......##..X...XX..#.............
.......#..X.X.XX..<#.............
.......#..X..XX.X..#.............
.......#..X.XX.X...#.............
.......#..X.X.X.X..#.............
.......##......X...#.............
........##....X....#.............
.........###########.............
.................................
Other vault ideas:
Multi-level vaults can progress up or down, but not both
Multi-level generation (down) stops on Vault:6. Multi-level generation (up) stops on Vault:7.
Three Multi-level vaults on Vault:6 make a path to the only entry into Vault:8, so players can't dive into Vault:8 as easily
The rune isn't on Vault:8, but on Vault:6 in one of four Multi-level vaults that are entered in Vault:8 and cannot be teleported into on Vault:6 or Vault:7
One last note about the ruins: it isn't a fully formed idea yet, but think lots of rubble, crumbled rock and stone walls, old waterways that have flooded over, lots of one specific race. Random rotation with swamp and shoals. Another mid game branch that does not require rPois. Main species in ruins could also be rotated with appropriate variances in the ruins to accommodate the switch. For example, mountain dwarf ruins would have much more stone walkways that remained in tact and provide a lot of rubble-free walking space. Merfolk ruins would have eroded stone walls poking out of much-more prevalent water (think 25% of the level), Ogre ruins would contain big roundish structures of rock mostly surrounded by other singular rock walls and lots of rubble. Some of this may be too ambitious and it's very likely that a species rotation would be too much effort for a mid game branch.
